I don't understand why some vegans are so against this.. Nobody's forcing you to eat this. It looks and tastes remarkably like actual beef which is AMAZING considering it's plant-based. I'd never eat it but if it stops some people from eating red meat, we should support it! It might not be the _healthiest_ but if it's eaten every once in a while, it shouldn't be a problem. Ethically and environmentally, it's obviously much better than red meat.
Because a lot of vegans are motivated by their self-image of being in an exclusive club, and they don't want to see veganism grow because their self-image will be weakened. I for one don't care what brings people to veganism, I just want to see it grow, and this burger will help, so I support it, even if I wouldn't eat it myself!
***** I couldn't agree more with you. Too much ego and selfishness in this world. It's great to take care of yourself but not to be motivated purely out of self interest. We can think about our own best interests while also making conscious decisions that will benefit others, human and non-human.
***** I'm not as bothered what peoples motivations are, as long as I approve of their actions. But yeah, a lot of people in the world are pretty damaged psychologically, and have low self-esteem which can cause all sorts of unhealthy behaviour. It's sad and frustrating.
Carbs+ Exactly. The whole purpose should be to promote whatever it takes to close down the slaughterhouses. I don't understand what "I personally wouldn't eat it" has to do with that goal!
+megacycles I know, but it sounds so artificial and foreign that I don't think meat eaters would flock to Super Meat... I think people eat meat because it's meat. I don't really have a solid stance on it, just speculation.
+megacycles It just reminds me of the common meat eater argument that "meat and eating animals is natural", therefore I would predict they'd stray from "lab" meat. I hope that makes sense. Veggie burger sounds less intimidating, I suppose.
Depends where you're located, I know that where I live (in the UK) they are vegan but I know that in the US they aren't. I'd suggest looking up a list online of where they are and aren't:)
I would definitely try it! Regardless of whether vegans/vegetarians would or wouldn't try it we have to acknowledge it is an advancement toward decreasing meat consumption in the population. Considering the average person doesn't have the discipline to downsize their coke (my friends observation), this is a big POSITIVE.
I have issues with restriction and have orthorexia. I am now giving in to my cravings, but with the filter that I must not eat animal products (I am vegan). I have to say thank you to these replacement products as they help me to not restrict and go into that horrible mindset again (good/bad food). Although I'm aware it hurts me long term, restriction leads to me being suicid@l short term, which is problematic. It's complicated for certain people (me a part of them) and we need replacements.
I've had the impossible burger and I like it. It's a way better option than eating actual meat. Of course I cooked mine longer than recommended because I never liked rare hamburgers when I did eat them. And I also flatten out the patties because I don't like thick hamburgers. The fake "blood" didn't entice me to eat this (ewww), I just wanted a fake burger.
I agree. It has a different flavor than meat, but besides the similar texture, it also has umami type of flavor. I use mushrooms as a replacement for meat with most of my dinners at home, and as my meat alternative at vegan restaurants. I also eat legumes (etc.) for protein. Back when I ate meat, the ideal texture would have been like large, cooked mushrooms. Obviously, much better for you than veggie burgers.
@@mrp_27 Not everyone is like you. Some like self-sabotage and as long as it harms no one else, I think we have the right to self-sabotage if we want. -professional self sabotager
I'm not an advocate of the paleo diet, but I'm pretty sure they don't eat dairy. You may be mixing up paleo with ketogenic diet which is low carb, high fat, so yah, they even put butter in their coffee. Ugh!
You are wrong about imaginary gluten intolerance. Well, kind of. My english is not very good, but research amylase tryptin inhibitors. German researchers found out that ATI cause bad symptoms in many people. Lots of ATI are in modern gluten rich grains like wheat, so people think the problem is caused by gluten, but it's the ATI. So maybe we can stop mocking these people now?
I also wish there were better substitutes for seafood. I only miss seafood (shrimp, crab, fish). Discontinuing eating land mammals was super easy but mock seafood is lacking.
If you want to try, I sometimes take Eden Organic's garbanzo beans, crush them, add salt and they taste a lot like canned tuna to me... I haven't eaten tuna in years though, but it's similar to what I can remember haha.
EurAsiaNikki No problem : ) By the way, I don't know if the beans being Eden Organic's makes a difference. I just know they use kombu seaweed in their canned food, which might affect the taste but I haven't compared. Sorry for going on, haha
I've always been allergic to shellfish, but since being vegan I've actually had firsts eating mock versions and I can't wait to try more. I had my very first crabcake by Gardein last week and it was amazing! No worries of anaphylactic shock either
I've been vegan for five years, generally been striving for a whole-food plant-based diet for the last two - and I will HAPPILY eat this burger! While I don't anticipate that it would become an everyday staple for me because I am still very conscious of the health effects, I am 100% on board with this if it causes less environmental damage and saves animal lives. I will advocate it to all my carnist friends when it goes mainstream. All vegans should support this product wholeheartedly.
I'd possibly try it but I'm not a big fan of burgers. I find the Linda McCartney quarter pounders juicy enough; actually they're unnervingly like meat burgers.
I would never eat anything that like look none vegan. I don't want to look like a meat person at Mcdonalds. Whole point of been a vegan. You get rid of the taste for meat.
j jarry Even if a vegan wouldn't want to eat this themselves, they should still be promoting it to replace using animals for "meat" with the ultimate goal of shutting down the slaughterhouses. It's also great for those newer vegans in transition. All I had available to eat were dried -out Boca burgers when I went vegan but for those I was grateful.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Impossible Burger!!!! It TRULY, 100% tastes like an amazing burger! I didn't try it by itself, but instead on a bun with all the fixins' and it was AMAZING!!!! I would encourage anyone making the transition to try one and they would be convinced. This is amazing!!!!!
I would not eat that stuff....by the way your skin looks amazingly better today than when you made this video....it was the first thing I noticed and it took me off the content for a minute...lol....great vids!....thanks!
I would sooner chew glass and swallow it than try this thing, but may start actively praying, something I've not done since a tot, to make this thing ultra desirable to meaters. This was a riveting . . . uh . . . dissection of this product, and I thank you for posting it ; )
Great job covering this, Mic, balancing pros and cons. I like home-cooked veggie burgers made with beans, bulgar, etc., but I will never have an appetite for anything that truly tastes like meat (gag response). I can't even stand the smell of meat cooking. So, no way I will try it, even if they produce one that is an authentic superfood (and I doubt they ever will).
Yeah, I think I'd give it a go if I happened across it. Although I might not be able to eat it, it's been so long since I've consumed flesh, it might freak me out if it's too lifelike!
Sometimes the mock meat can be too realistic to actual meat. and in the case of this burger they tried as hard as possible to make it like real meat. Honestly I'm one of those vegans that's repulsed by meat and mock meats but this product is so interesting I feel like i have to try it for science but then again idk if i could stomach it.
+living3754 Yeah, I don't understand that. I mean don't have to understand, I understand that's how you feel and it's fine, but the knowledge of what a thing is or looks like or whatever never mattered to me. I just added ethics to the taste criteria. So a resemblance to something unethical is literally meaningless to me, if it tastes good, I'll eat it.
+Jesse Fruhwirth I guess. I mean I quit smoking and find it a bit gross now, and I used to find it incredibly sexy for whatever reason. But I would still smoke shisha because that's quite nice sometimes, it's just actual cigarettes kind of smell and taste gross to me now. That's the same thing isn't it :p
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this genetically modified "impossible burger" is likely to be extremely expensive, thus probably not ideal for most people.
Most innovative things replacing anything massively popular start off extremely expensive, but as their popularity rises and the demand for them increases, they come down drastically in price. Especially since, as Mic. says, their ultimate goal is affordability. Although too "real" tasting for ethical vegans, anyone wanting to see slaughterhouses shut down should promote this product to every single "meat-eater" they know.
Lone Wolf Vegan Warrior I'd eat it if it was both affordable and available. I'd like to see the impossible burger become a thing. But would it replace everything else meaty that I enjoy, such as barbecue? Probably not. It seems like its only good for mimicking ground beef.
crazitaco If people make this popular by supporting it then believe me you will see all sorts of competitors popping up for every product imaginable. It's how the non-dairy milks and cheezes have come to proliferate the market; this will be the same. And if you want to stop those cravings for enjoying "meaty" things I'd suggest watching Earthlings. It's a real effective eye-opener for meat-eaters....
Lone Wolf Vegan Warrior I don't want to suppress my enjoyment of meat. I love barbecue, and appreciate it as a culinary art. I love all the work that goes into creating a perfect steak, or a tempting, slow-cooked smoked brisket. I just think it would be better to make slaughterhouses less cruel, is all I'm saying. I don't object to killing properly raised animals for food, just to the horrid living conditions the animals go through in this day and age, all because our population is growing more and more unsustainable. Eating animals went from killing the family pig you had been raising for a Christmas meal, to a factory-like mass production of meat.
The King of the Vegans - Mic. the Vegan - delivers another excellent video Fascinating on the Legumes topic - the nitrogen fixing type of activity of legumes. Very good job bringing in an explanation of this interesting topic. A well ordered and organised quality analysis of the product (covering many aspects) and very useful pro's and con's analysis and conclusion - it is a real enjoyment to engage with such an intelligent (and very likable) person. Thanks Mic. the Vegan
This is a much healthier choice burger for meat eaters that want to cut down their meat consumption without denying themselves the pleasure of experiencing a even better taste burger.
These are available at a few places in LA. Also, there is a close cousin called Beyond Burger (the "blood" is beet juice) that is ridiculously like ground beef (except for the yucky poop and death). Beyond Beef makes other products, including sausages that sell out within minutes of being put put on shelves at Whole Paycheck.
Mic, I am so glad that you are able to look past your own preferences for food and realize that as long as people are eating less red meat (possibly eliminating all of it) they are bettering their health and the world.
+Eliran Sobel Yes. As Mike has mentioned Google tried to be Impossible Foods for 300mil and Bill Gates is among the investors in the company (blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2015/10/06/bill-gates-joins-108-million-round-in-impossible-foods/) so I'm pretty sure they're going to have a killer marketing plan (pun not intended :))
I would probably try one just because I'm curious , but a good whole food vegie burger satisfies that texture/flavor craving that I used to get for burgers, as well as improves my health instead of undermining it.
Looks great, I want to try it! My greatest concerns are with the coconut oil, which is the worst type of oil. Wonder if they can use another healthier oil. I'm not concerned if it's a GMO because Im not scared of science, and the heme thing doesn't bother me either because I don't eat burgers much anyway so if I was to eat this it would only be occasionally. Overall this seems really intreging and I hope it becomes available where I live so i can try it :)
About the poop argument; I've lived (and live currently) and worked on farms also spent time gathering in the woods and what have to tell you is there's poop in FOOD - deal with it or starve
And two years later, you can find everywhere! I live in a pretty small town and one of your restaurants even has it. Anddd we gotta thank Wu for bringing them to White Castles.
We will try them. My husband still eats some meat and one of the hardest foods for him to give up is burgers. This replacement could make a drastic difference in his meat consumption.
Now available at FatBurger locations. For other close-to-realistic options, ask your local places if they serve the "Beyond Burger" patty or "Yves" patty.
Vegan food scientist here. This burger is definitely the most similar meat replacement I have ever tried. Those who fall under the category of "meat lovers" still aren't on board with it and do not like the small sensory difference, whether that is mentally or a real taste perception decision. But, small steps are better than nothing!
Just looked it up. Apparently it costs $20 to produce one impossible burger compared to just $2 for a beef burger. So it looks like it has a long ways to go before it becomes a viable alternative.
Gave it a try. The flavor mimics beef closer than any other fake meat I have tried. Now that I know about the ingredients and the process from watching this video, I don't think I'll make a habbit out eating this on a regular bassis
6:24 Hahaha you nailed when saying "even if their gluten intolerance is imaginary"... that is what is happening atm, everyone is all of a sudden celiacs
Very well researched. Thanks for the information. I'm excited to try the impossible burger, but after hearing all the pro's and con's , if I like it, I think I will only eat it occasionally.
I've tried it and also tried the beyond burger. The beyond burger to me, tasted so much better i wouldn't go out of my way for an impossible burger again
There are other plants that can fix nitrogen, not just legumes. The floating fern genus Azolla, for example, has a cyanobacteria buddy in its tissues that allows it to fix nitrogen. That's why it's used as fertilizer in some countries.
I love this company so its nice to see you do a video on this product. I messaged them about when will it be in the gerocery stores. They hoping to have it out soon and you can subscribe to their Facebook page for updates.
Oh, that's brilliant. Such fabulous science. On multiple levels - I am a little less pessimistic, about the future, than I was before I watched this explanation of the mythical (not mythological - it turns out) 'impossible burger'. When did we get so clever?
It will be available at Hurricane Grill and Wings, which is a large chain down here in Florida. I am all about more vegan options as it makes it much more convenient when eating out with friends... which is the major problem I face being the only vegan out of my local friends and family. So yes, I will try it and perhaps eat it occasionally, mostly socially. I wouldn't make it a habit or buy them for home consumption.
I am a mostly whole food plant based kind of guy....I say mostly because I have had 3 beyond burgers in the last couple of months and I really enjoy it. One of the three was they Beyond Whopper....not bad at all. I probably won't eat allot of these but I can see one or two a month or on special occasions. Now that hear the health details I may try to generally avoid eating too many.
I was honestly surprised at the taste of this burger, I ate it all! Even my meat eater hubby said it was good! If this can eventually help him over to plant based eating, I would purchase it for him.
Had one at the Public House, next to ATT park. They don't have vegan cheese, and the chef didn't have a clue as to what it actually was. He just said "well it's delivered and we cook it". As far as the taste test: it passes with flying colors. i would add some chao cheese or follow your heart provolone. The Beyond Burger at VeggieGrill is comparable, but a better deal so far. Same price, plus you get a nice side. and pretty much the same technology. I hope both comapanies are successful.
So glad to see this and all the positive reviews from meat eaters. I am a vegan and definitely going to try this because I honestly do miss the taste a juicy burger.
Finally got to try one, it was so close to meat I thought it was a mistake so I had one more somewhere else. It really seems like they are really giving you a real burger, it is amazing. They are everywhere now so a win for the cows.
I live in a place where Veganism is such a foreign conceipt that anything that helps the suffering of animals and improves most people's life quality is great news for me so i can't be picky ... Good for them for doing such a great job and fr you for another great video.
I've read that soy isolate and leghemglobin are not actually unsafe to eat or carcinogenic. (For instance, the European Commission has looked into and deemed leghemglobin safe to eat as no adverse short term or long term ramifications were presented or identifiable in their study) Just like carrageenan and monosodium glutamate there seems to be an enormous misinformation storm surrounding these ingredients.
Yo Mic! Not eating meat myself but wonder what your thoughts are on Kangaroo? They're culled from farms for being pests in Australia, and the meat is far leaner and better fed. Thanks for the great work!
Had one a few weeks ago. My wife ordered a regular burger. When we were served I wasn’t sure which was which. It tasted great. As an occasional treat to keep one sticking to a vegan diet it is a nice option.
I'd have no issue eating this as a vegan. If your primary concern as a vegan is ethics, then this is absolutely fair game. Simple as that. Obviously if the fact that it looks like the real thing is simply too difficult to get your head around then fair enough, but otherwise, this is great!
Tried it out and nd it really tastes like beef. Texture was unusually crispy on the outside but not inside. Very good. I would get it again. The cost was 16 US dollars here in southern Cal. Not available in stores yet as we tried looking but we use the beyond meat and that’s ok right now.
I'm almost totally vegan now. Just the other day my wife came back from the grocery with some Quorn Chik'n patties. I've been nitpicky lately with everyone (kids, wife) about how strict our diet is to be and noticed that there is egg and milk in the product that I don't want. I went ahead and ate it as we have enjoyed Quorn products greatly and they've helped the initial weening off of meat. Once I tasted the fake chicken flavor though, I thought "I don't want to taste chicken even if it's just a flavoring.".
Gardein is a great company- they’re breaded crispy chicken fingers are better than real chicken. Steve Wynn went vegan years ago and mandated that all his hotel restaurants have vegan menu- and the Italian and Chinese restaurants had amazing tasting vegan food. All use gardein meats for their protein.
I don't fancy it but I don't like anything that looks or tastes like meat but think it is very valuable as lots of people do love meat this then would be a good starting point to their vegetarian then hopefully vegan diets
